Category Archives: Collections

Posts about our collections.

WUMB-FM Collection: Now open for research

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The WUMB-FM collection is now open and available for research. This collection, one of the largest in University Archives & Special Collections at UMass Boston, documents the administration and operation of the WUMB radio station at the university from 1969 through 2012. WUMB boxes

WUMB was founded in the fall of 1968 by a group of undergraduate students in the basement of the Sawyer building at 142 Berkeley Street in Back Bay, near UMass Boston’s original Park Square campus. The founding group wanted to provide a radio service that was not available elsewhere, and discussed offering not only music but talk shows.

On October 31, 1968, students formed the Radio Station Committee of UMass Boston and drafted a constitution. The committee consisted of a chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer, and secretary, which were elected each April. Pat Riccio (Monteith), interested in getting involved in university activities as a freshman and a member of the radio station’s founding group, would serve as treasurer, secretary, music director, and, finally, as general manager until 2012.

The station began as a closed-circuit station called WUMB-AM and went on the air for the first time on December 14, 1969. By 1970, it was broadcast within the cafeteria on campus on Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, except during vacations, reading periods, and exams.

On June 30, 1980, the station received the last Metro-Boston area FM license from the Federal Communications Commission and became UMass Boston’s official non-commercial radio station. On September 19, 1982, WUMB officially went on the airwaves with an all-student and volunteer staff, broadcasting to an audience of 1.5 million people. The license was received after years of numerous amendments and resubmittals of lost information, as well as some objections from other commercial and non-commercial radio stations in the area. The license was made possible with support from Chancellor Carlo Golino and his chief of staff, who was an attorney, advocating for the radio station in written letters. Read more about the history of WUMB-FM in the historical note section on page two of the finding aid.

Massachusetts House of Representatives Anniversary Award, circa 2002
Hand puppets from Adventures of Zorba (the cat) and Koffie (the mouse), a children’s show on WUMB circa 1970-1979
Program Information Sheets, 1983
Boston Folk Festival posters, circa 2000-2007

The WUMB-FM collection includes original and photocopied documents, official records (constitution, minutes, by-laws), mimeograph copies, Ditto copies, notes and correspondence, playlists, program guides, surveys, listener correspondence, performance agreements, newspaper articles, lyrics, promotional materials, photographs, contact sheets, slides, negatives, CDs, cassettes, VHS tapes, and more.

Some digitized reel-to-reel audio from the WUMB collection is available through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (WUMB and UMass Boston are listed among the America Archive’s participating organizations) by clicking “view all records” here. Materials from the collection that may also be of interest to researchers include the records on the Boston Folk Festival, which was organized by WUMB-FM from 1995 to 2011. This series includes documents on festival planning, songwriting contest lyrics, photographs, posters, and promotional materials.

Read past Open Archives News posts about the WUMB-FM collection:

View the finding aid for the WUMB-FM collection here.

For questions about this collection or to schedule a research appointment, please contact library.archives@umb.edu or 617-287-5469.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Winter 2016 issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy available on ScholarWorks

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Winter 2016 NEJPP Cover_v1 (1)--REVThe most recent issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy is now available on ScholarWorks, the open access repository for scholarship and research out of UMass Boston.

Describing the topics explored in this issue, journal founding editor Padraig O’Malley writes: “Along with two literary essays, the articles in this issue of the journal address local, national, and international public policy questions. On the literary level, one article discusses whether arguments from an older era over a white writer’s presumption that he can accurately articulate black voices and experiences, itself an unconscious bias, can throw light on racial issues roiling college campuses and other arenas of public discourse today; the second, more mellow and reflective, ponders the incongruities and congruities that surface when the author explores how the meaning of the word home depends on one’s personality as he prepares to move his family back to Massachusetts, where he grew up. Three examine questions germane to Massachusetts: one on media bias leading up to the referendum in Massachusetts on bilingual education, a second on equality of compensation among teachers in different communities in the state, and a third on racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the workplace. On the national level, one article looks at biases that explain why black women enlist in the U.S. military at higher rates than other ethnic and racial groups. And, finally, two articles on the international level. One discusses the urgent need to reorient long-term U.S. foreign policy objectives; the other makes an important contribution to understanding what might lie ahead in Iraq, if ISIL is defeated—sobering and rarely discussed.”

The New England Journal of Public Policy has been published since 1985 by the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Full issues of the open access journal are available on ScholarWorks.

In addition to the introductory note by journal editor O’Malley, who is also the John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation at UMass Boston, the contents of this issue include:

To view the full issue, and to explore back issues of this publication, click here.

ScholarWorks is the University of Massachusetts Boston’s online, open access institutional repository for scholarship and research. ScholarWorks serves as a publishing platform, a preservation service, and a showcase for the research and scholarly output of members of the UMass Boston community. ScholarWorks is a service of the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston.

Processing*: The benefits of sharing in the archival profession

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Processing Manual for Archival and Manuscript Collections, by Meghan Bailey, Jessica Holden, and Joanne Riley

Processing Manual for Archival and Manuscript Collections, by Meghan Bailey, Jessica Holden, and Joanne Riley

During my time as the processing archivist in University Archives & Special Collections at UMass Boston, I’ve been working hard to ensure our processing* procedures reflect current professional standards and are efficient and consistent. To that end, I led the department in the development of a processing manual to assist students, interns, and volunteers, as well as other library and archives staff, with archival processing projects. Importantly, my colleagues Jessica Holden and Joanne Riley played pivotal roles in preparing, testing, and championing the development of this manual – not, I should add, a quick and easy undertaking!

(*Processing is the term archivists use to describe the work of making a new collection ready and available for access to researchers, students, and staff. Donated collections often come to the repository in disarray. Boxes and folders are unlabeled, disorganized, and dusty, and may contain duplicate materials and personally identifiable information. It is the archivist’s job to ensure ease of access, and to assimilate the historical relevance and material content of the collection and communicate this knowledge in the finding aid for researchers.)

As part of keeping tabs on activities in the archival professional community, I am a member of the NEAdiscuss listserv, a listserv created for the New England archives community to encourage communication and announcements pertaining to the profession.

Last week, I noticed an email come through the listserv inquiring about processing plans and workflows. Immediately after this email, several other members of the listserv responded, indicating their interest in this information.

At the University of Massachusetts Boston, we are fortunate to have ScholarWorks, an open access digital repository for scholarship and research by faculty, staff, and students at the university and managed by staff in the Joseph P. Healey Library. We had been planning to post the manual to ScholarWorks for some time and this exchange on the NEAdiscuss listserv moved us to action.

After posting our processing manual to ScholarWorks on February 11, I forwarded the link to my colleagues in listserv-land. To my surprise, the manual was downloaded 35 times in 24 hours and, as of today, the manual has been downloaded almost 50 times!

The importance of sharing ideas, workflows, and practices in the archival profession cannot be understated. It encourages collegiality and limits the duplication of effort, ultimately advancing the profession. This is especially important as archivists forge ahead with the digitization of archival collections. As nerdy as it may seem, our seemingly obsessive, hyper-vigilant focus on processes and workflows is essential to providing access to archival collections for communities of researchers, students, faculty, and staff.

I welcome any feedback or thoughts on our department processing manual. The manual will be updated periodically, as our work processes evolve to support current and new materials. Please check ScholarWorks for the most updated version.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.

Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show materials now online

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I have dozens of photographs taken out my back door because I live in the most beautiful place in the world. Location: Sengekontacket, 2013. Contributor:Bonnie Stacy.

“I have dozens of photographs taken out my back door because I live in the most beautiful place in the world.” Location: Sengekontacket, 2013.
Contributor: Bonnie Stacy.

The photographs and stories gathered at the Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show are available online now for research.

Held at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on October 25, 2015, the event was organized by the Vineyard Haven Public Library in association with the five other town libraries on the island. The event was made possible by additional support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Twin Oaks Inn, Mansion House on Martha’s Vineyard, and the Steamship Authority. Two dozen local volunteers collaborated with a team of UMass Boston staff members and “Roadies” from past Mass. Memories Road Shows to welcome nearly 100 adults and children with connections to the island.

'My sister and her husband, Richard and Vivian Mitchell of East Orange and Morristown, New Jersey first came to Martha's Vineyard in 1942. One of the young African American families who gave up the New Jersey shore and Jones Beach in New York for a love of Martha's Vineyard. In spite of the 8-hour drive, a prefab cottage was built over many weekends, and the summer residence for three generations was set. They bought into Waterview Farm community at its inception in 1968. Their heirs, Roger Mitchell, Claire, Ray, Kendall, Christopher Walker (along with many family and friends) continue the love affair every summer that Richard and Vivian began with Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Submitted by Claire Walker. Pictured: Vivian Mitchell, Richard Mitchell. Contributor: Joseph Campbell.

“My sister and her husband, Richard and Vivian Mitchell of East Orange and Morristown, New Jersey first came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1942. One of the young African American families who gave up the New Jersey shore and Jones Beach in New York for a love of Martha’s Vineyard. In spite of the 8-hour drive, a prefab cottage was built over many weekends, and the summer residence for three generations was set.” Pictured: Vivian Mitchell, Richard Mitchell. Contributor: Joseph Campbell.

Many participants shared photographs and stories of themselves and their families at home or at play around the island. Other individuals contributed memories of attending school concerts, theater performances, and other community gatherings. Life at work on the island– in fishing fleets, fire departments, public schools, and on the set of “Jaws” in 1974–is also documented in the collection. Several images document local businesses such as the S.M. Mayhew Co. store and C.B. Stark jewelers.

Several people brought materials documenting creative and artistic endeavors on Martha’s Vineyard over the decades. In addition, a significant number of items in the collection portray residents enjoying and exploring the natural beauty of the island landscape: playing on the beach, circumnavigating the island with friends and colleagues, or just taking in the view outside their doors.

'This is a photo of the original Gayhead Fire Department in 1959. My father is second from the left. In 1978, I became the first female on the island to become a volunteer fireman. My father gave me his badge, number 16. In 1988 I became the first woman assistant fire chief on the island. The man in the headdress is Napoleon Madison, medicine man of the Wampanoag tribe in Gayhead. His son, Luther Madison, 3rd from the right, eventually became the next medicine man. Donald Malonson, 3rd from the left, was the fire chief. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: Horation Malonson, Jeff Madison, Bill Ryan, Larry Spitz, Donald Malonson, Napoleon Madison, Joe Horiagon, Luther Madison, Grover Ryan, Jesse Smalley. Location: Gayhead.' Contributor: Barbara Bassett.

“This is a photo of the original Gayhead Fire Department in 1959. In 1978, I became the first female on the island to become a volunteer fireman. My father gave me his badge, number 16. In 1988 I became the first woman assistant fire chief on the island. The man in the headdress is Napoleon Madison, medicine man of the Wampanoag tribe in Gayhead. His son, Luther Madison, eventually became the next medicine man. Donald Malonson was the fire chief. Pictured, from back to front, left to right: Horation Malonson, my father Jeff Madison, Bill Ryan, Larry Spitz, Donald Malonson, Napoleon Madison, Joe Horiagon, Luther Madison, Grover Ryan, Jesse Smalley.” Contributor: Barbara Bassett.

The video interviews collected at this event are still being processed; a separate notice will be posted when they are available.

Browse the Martha’s Vineyard Mass. Memories Road Show collection.

The Mass. Memories Road Show is a statewide digital history project that documents people, places and events in Massachusetts history through family photographs and stories. In partnership with teams of local volunteers, we organize public events to scan family and community photographs and videotape “the stories behind the photos.” The images and videos are indexed and incorporated into an online educational database. Since its launch, the project has gathered more than 8,000 photographs and stories from across the state. It is supported in part by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund at UMass Boston.  

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston was established in 1981 as a repository to collect archival material in subject areas of interest to the university, as well as the records of the university itself. The mission and history of UMass Boston guide the collection policies of University Archives & Special Collections, with the university’s urban mission and strong support of community service reflected in the records of and related to urban planning, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, war and social consequence, and local history related to neighboring communities. To learn more, visit blogs.umb.edu/archives.

Happy holidays from University Archives & Special Collections at UMass Boston!

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card

From a scrapbook compiled by Roland Geist, a bicycle historian and collector, 1930s – 1950s, donated to the Archives’ bicycling history collections by Lorenz Finison, October, 2015. The Roland Geist collection is currently being processed. Subscribe to OPEN ARCHIVES NEWS (in the sidebar) to be notified when this collection is open for research.

We want to take this moment to acknowledge those who have collected, located, or donated the many documents and artifacts that are helping us build the bicycling history research collections at UMass Boston: John Allen, Cathy Buckley, Nelson Dionne, John Dowlin, Harriet Fell, Lorenz Finison, Tom Fortmann, Richard Fries, Ralph Galen, Roland Geist, Phyllis Harmon, Tom Helm, Thomas McDuffee, Melanie Morris, Richard St. Onge, Gary Sanderson, and many others!

To learn more about the bicycling history collections in University Archives & Special Collections, click here.

To learn more about researching bicycling history, visit our Research Guide for bicycling here.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.